{"id":894,"date":"2009-03-11T14:26:37","date_gmt":"2009-03-11T19:26:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.hightwo.com\/ht\/?p=894"},"modified":"2009-03-11T14:26:37","modified_gmt":"2009-03-11T19:26:37","slug":"reviews-dave-burrell-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/reviews-dave-burrell-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Reviews – Dave Burrell"},"content":{"rendered":"

Author: troy Collins
\nSource: All About Jazz <\/span>Published: November 07, 2006
\nLink to this article<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

For the first time in almost thirty years, pianist Dave Burrell returned to the studio to record as a leader with William Parker and Andrew Cyrille on 2004’s Expansion<\/em> (High Two). Momentum<\/em> features Burrell recording for the first time with bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Guillermo E. Brown, continuing to explore the classic piano trio format. With this new blood, Burrell hones in on the jazz tradition with intensity and focus, delivering one of the finest statements of his career.Burrell explores a variety of moods from introspective to assertive on six new compositions, half of which (“Downfall,” “4:30 to Atlanta,” “Broken Promise”) were composed to accompany Oscar Micheaux’s 1925 silent film, Body and Soul<\/em>, and a sublime new arrangement of “Coup d’Etat.” Many of Burrell’s recent pieces are inspired by the current tempestuous political climate, providing the session with an undercurrent of bluesy melancholy and dramatic tension.<\/span><\/p>\n

Burrell is in fantastic form, his playing assured and resolute, his focus and commitment to the tunes palpable. He launches splintery fragments over the lumbering, deconstructed funk groove of “Downfall” with impetuous nerve. Conversely, his tender, regal touch on “Fade to Black” is delivered with conviction and restraint, almost neo-classical in its austerity and grace.<\/p>\n

The title track finds him boisterous and exploratory, expelling cascades of fleeting notes and crushing block chords as Formanek and Brown accent his labyrinthine excursions. The closing cut, “Coup d’Etat,” reprised from Expansion<\/em>, swings leisurely at first, and then shifts tempos as Burrell casually navigates the changes.<\/p>\n

Perfectly suited to Burrell’s open-ended aesthetic, Formanek and Brown accompany him with elastic timing and a malleable compromise between structure and freedom. Modulating with endless variation through individual song forms, they maintain edgy forward momentum without losing track of the individual tunes’ framework.<\/p>\n

Burrell is a magnanimous leader, allowing his able-bodied sidemen equal time in the spotlight. Formanek delivers a striking bowed bass solo on the opening of “Fade to Black” and plucks sultry, lyrical statements throughout “Cool Reception.” Brown introduces “4:30 to Atlanta” with a roiling and turbulent drum solo, subtly accompanied by Burrell’s muted chords and Formanek’s slippery bass work.<\/p>\n

Momentum<\/em> is a mature and haunting album from an acknowledged master\u2014and a definitive statement from an underappreciated legend.<\/p>\n

Dave Burrell at All About Jazz<\/a>.
\nVisit Dave Burrell<\/a> on the web.
\nTrack listing: Downfall; Broken Promise; Fade to Black; 4:30 to Atlanta; Cool Reception; Momentum; Coup d’Etat.<\/p>\n

Personnel: Dave Burrell: piano, Michael Formanek: bass; Guillermo E. Brown: drums.<\/p>\n

Style: Modern Jazz<\/a>
\n
\n<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Author: troy Collins Source: All About Jazz Published: November 07, 2006 Link to this article For the first time in […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_eb_attr":"","advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[47,48,76,50,60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-artists","category-dave-burrell","category-ht008","category-releases","category-reviews"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","acf":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":892,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/reviews-dave-burrell-2\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":0},"title":"Reviews – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Brent Burton Source: Jazz Times Jan\/Feb 2007 \"Momentum, shows that Burrell\u2019s art, unlike his reputation, is anything but tethered to the past.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":890,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/reviews-dave-burrell\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":1},"title":"Reviews – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Byron Coley Source: Harp Dave Burrell\u2019s genius as an improviser lies in his talent to obliterate conventions and stylistic gulfs that would swallow most people whole. On this new disc, he creates bridges using blocked chords and solid filigree. Beginning with big clumps over Guillermo Brown\u2019s shockingly cut-\u2019n\u2019-paste drums,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":719,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/jazz-times-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":2},"title":"Review – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 6, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Source: Jazz Times link to article DAVE BURRELL FULL-BLOWN TRIO Expansion (High Two) \"My greatest recorded work,\" says 64-year-old Dave Burrell on the press release accompanying the Dave Burrell Full-Blown Trio's Expansion (High Two), and by golly, after listening I would be shocked if it wasn't. Burrell's stylistic grasp\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":726,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/the-wire-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":3},"title":"Review – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 6, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: Ben Watson Source: The Wire August 2004 \"Burrell's take on jazz tradition is intelligent and wilful, refusing the categories thrust on it by outsiders... This is the record to bring Burrell to the attention of all listeners who crave the unmistakable thump of authenticity.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":896,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/reviews-dave-burrell-4\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":4},"title":"Reviews – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 11, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author:\u00a0 Shaun Brady Source: Philadelphia City PaperDec 20, 2006 .artist { text-align: left; } .title { margin-top: 3px; } .label { margin-top: 3px; } 1. Dave Burrell: Momentum (High Two) 2004's Expansion saw Burrell return to the studio for his first proper album as a leader in nearly 30 years,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":728,"url":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/earshot-review\/","url_meta":{"origin":894,"position":5},"title":"Review – Dave Burrell","author":"admin","date":"March 6, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Author: L. Pounds SourceL Earshot! Dec 2004 \"Expansion is an outstanding jazz collage of pounding raw piano chord chunks, beautiful sprinting tonal lines, calculated piano flitter meanderings, bottom-end rumbling disjointed-walking jazz bass lines and expressionist\/explorative drum work.\"","rel":"","context":"In "Artists"","block_context":{"text":"Artists","link":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/category\/artists\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=894"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/894\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hightwo.net\/two\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}